OnApril8,China鈥檚navyreportedtheattemptedhijackingofashipfromTuvalu(SouthPacificindependentislandnation)bysuspectedSomalipirates.WorkingtogetherwiththeIndiannavy,theymanagedtosecureboththeshipandthesafetyofthecrew.
SpokespersonHuaChunyingofChina鈥檚MinistryofForeignAffairstoldamediabriefingthattheoperationdemonstratedtheeffectivenessofChinesenavalforcesinfightingpirates,aswellasChina鈥檚imageasaresponsiblemajorcountryinsafeguardingregionalpeaceandstability.
鈥淲earealwayspositivetowardinternationalcounter-piracyoperations,鈥漵headded.
TheareaaroundtheHornofAfricaisoneoftheworld鈥檚busiestshippingcorridorsandfirstsawarmedSomalipiratesindinghieshijackmassivetransportshipsandholdthemforransomaround2008.Piracyreachedapeakin2011whenmerchantvesselswerebeinghijackedweekly.AccordingtotheInternationalMaritimeBureau,237pirateattacksofftheSomaliacoasttookplacethatyear,involvinghundredsofhostages.Thebureaureportedthattheseattackscausedglobaleconomiclossesof$7billion,whilethepiratespocketedalmost$160millioninransoms.Somaliacontinuestobeanembattledcountrythatneedsanall-inclusivestrategyencompassingpoliticalreform,securityandeconomicdevelopment,withoutwhichpiracyisboundtocontinue.
Nonetheless,theUN-sanctionedinterventionofinternationalnaviesfromChina,theUnitedStates,Russia,IndiaandJapanpatrollingthisregionandescortingshipsthroughthedangerousshippinglanecontributedtopiracyintheregionalmostdisappearingin2012.
Someobserverssaythepiracyresurgenceisbecauseoftheforcesguardingtheseacorridorandtheshippingcompaniesthemselveshavingbeenlulledintoafalsesenseofsecurityduetothepirates鈥檙ecenthiatus.
Despitethisobservation,China鈥檚involvementintheinternationalgroupofnaviesintheregionremainssteadfastsince2008.Accordingtothecountry鈥檚navy,ithadescortedatotalof6,337Chineseandforeignvesselsduringitsanti-piracyoperationsuptoApril7thisyearandbeeninvolvedinscoresofincidentsofvesselsattackedbypirates.
Chinaisacutelyaware,asdemonstratedbyitsthwartingoftherecentpiracyattack,thatitmustplayaresponsibleandcooperativerolewithintheglobalfamily.ThisisseentobeimportantnotonlybecauseofChina鈥檚risinginternationalstatus,butalsobecauseissuesthatarecommontoallnationsneedtobeaddressedasaunitedgroupwithacommonvision.Thisgrowingengagementwiththeworld,beitinmultinationalmilitaryoperationssuchasnavyescorts,orinotherglobalforums,continuestodemonstrateChina鈥檚growingroleintheglobalcommunity.
THEEDITOR